Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, a condenser configured to condense the refrigerant compressed in the compressor, an expander configured to depressurize the refrigerant condensed in the condenser, a plurality of evaporators configured to evaporate the refrigerant depressurized in the expander, a first valve configured to be operated to introduce the refrigerant into at least one of the plurality of evaporators, a hot gas valve device disposed at an inlet side of the first valve and configured to guide the refrigerant passed through the compressor or the condenser to the plurality of evaporators, and a hot gas path configured to extend from the hot gas valve device to the plurality of evaporators.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A refrigerator comprising:
 a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant; 
 a condenser configured to condense the refrigerant compressed in the compressor; 
 at least one expander configured to depressurize the refrigerant condensed in the condenser; 
 a first evaporator and a second evaporator that are configured to evaporate the refrigerant depressurized in the at least one expander; 
 a three-way valve disposed at an outlet side of the condenser and configured to be operated to introduce the refrigerant condensed by the condenser into at least one of the first evaporator or the second evaporator, the three-way valve including an inlet connected to an outlet pipe of the condenser, a first outlet connected to the first evaporator, and a second outlet connected to the first evaporator; 
 a first refrigerant path that extends from the first outlet of the three-way valve to the first evaporator; 
 a second refrigerant path that extends from the second outlet of the three-way valve to the second evaporator; 
 a first four-way valve provided in the outlet pipe of the condenser, the first four-way valve including a first port configured to receive refrigerant passing through the condenser, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port; 
 a second four-way valve provided in the outlet pipe of the condenser, the second four-way valve including a first port connected to the second port of the first four-way valve, a second port connected to the inlet of the three-way valve, a third port, and a fourth port; 
 a first hot gas path that extends from the first four-way valve to the first evaporator, the first hot gas path defining a first closed loop that passes through the first four-way valve and the first evaporator; and 
 a second hot gas path that extends from the second four-way valve to the second evaporator, the second hot gas path defining a second closed loop that passes through the second four-way valve and the second evaporator, 
 wherein the first evaporator comprises a first pipe that communicates with the first refrigerant path and a second pipe that communicates with the first hot gas path, and the second evaporator comprises a first pipe that communicates with the second refrigerant path and a second pipe that communicates with the second hot gas path, and 
 wherein the third and fourth ports of the first four-way valve are configured to communicate with the first hot gas path, and the third and fourth ports of the second four-way valve are configured to communicate with the second hot gas path. 
 
     
     
       2. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one expander comprises:
 a first expander installed in the first refrigerant path, and 
 a second expander installed in the second refrigerant path. 
 
     
     
       3. The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein, based on the refrigerator being operated in a first mode of operation, the three-way valve is configured to operate such that the refrigerant flows to at least one of the first evaporator or the second evaporator, and the first four-way valve and the second four-way valve are configured to operate to restrict a flow of the refrigerant to the first hot gas path and the second hot gas path, respectively. 
     
     
       4. The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein, based on the refrigerator being operated in a second mode of operation, the three-way valve is configured to operate such that the refrigerant flows to the first evaporator, and the first four-way valve is configured to operate to restrict a flow of the refrigerant to the first hot gas path, and the second four-way valve is configured to operate to guide the flow of the refrigerant to the second hot gas path. 
     
     
       5. The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein, based on the refrigerator being operated in a third mode of operation, the three-way valve is configured to operate such that the refrigerant flows to the second evaporator, and the first four-way valve is configured to operate to guide a flow of the refrigerant to the first hot gas path, and the second four-way valve is configured to operate to restrict the flow of the refrigerant to the second hot gas path.